Wednesday, September 16, 2009

On Tuesday, September 15th Porcupine Tree played the Moore Theatre in Seattle. It was the opening night of the tour. Since I'm a member of the elite commando squad of super-fans "Residents Of A Blank Planet" I had bought exclusive advance tickets months earlier. So after work I picked Karrin up and we headed to Seattle.
We found reasonably priced parking right on the opposite corner from the theatre, then snapped a few shots of the theatre and the marquee announcing Porcupine Tree.
After documenting the building and marquee, Karrin and I headed downhill to the waterfront and grabbed dinner at my favorite Seattle restaurant, Steamers. She had calamari and I had Alaskan cod.
We then headed back uphill and picked up my tickets at the box office, along with blue wristbands which got us in before everybody else. We found our seats in the fifth row (row E, seats 7 and 8). Eventually everybody else was allowed in and the place began to fill.
The opening act one a one-man-band called That One Guy. I had almost no expectations, but he was fantastic. His musical instrument was an interesting home-made looking essentially like lengths of steel pipe with lots of joints, plus a few buttons he used to trigger sounds. He first played the pipe by bowing it like a cello and controlling the pitch with a gentle touch at various locations. Soon he began also slapping it for percussion, and triggering samples with the two buttons. Two pedals on the floor allowed him to control bass drum samples. Overall his act was exceptionally physical from all the movement it required to play his unique instrument effectively. And listening to the music he made, nobody would have ever guessed it was all one person.
After playing the first two tracks from their new album "The Incident" ("Occam's Razor" and "Blindhouse") they paused, and Steve Wilson announced that they were going to perform the entire 55-minute suite/album. He also mentioned that this was the first time they would ever play the new material for an audience.
After that, they launched into the rest of the album, and played straight through to the end. I don't believe there were any more interruptions, and Steve didn't speak again until after the last track.
As I expected, "Drawing the Line" rocked. "The Yellow Windows of the Evening Train" was accompanied by footage of flowers blooming and trees gently waving in a breeze, and then came "Time Flies", accompanied by the projections that are seen in the online video.
"Octane Twisted" had a projection video in which we see the familiar little metal stick-man seen previously in the footage for "The Start of Something Beautiful" and "Sleep Together." The film depicted the unfortunate guy getting on a train, only to have the train run wild, hitting breakneck speeds, until it reaches a trestle bridge. The bridge breaks and cars go flying in a disaster.
After the last song ("I Drive the Hearse") Steve again stepped up and announced the intermission.
When they returned they went to their back catalogue, presenting (not in this order) "The Start of Something Beautiful", "The Sound of Muzak", "Russia On Ice", "Lazarus", "Normal", the heavy middle section of "Anesthetise", "Way Out of Here", and for the encore "Mother And Child Divided."
Strangely, I can't recall whether they played "Blackest Eyes" or "Strip The Soul" but I'm pretty sure one of the two was in the set. I was stunned that "Fear of A Blank Planet" wasn't in the setlist; before the show I would have bet money that it would be played, I was so certain. Nothing from "Signify" was played during the show, and they didn't go back any further/deeper than "Russian On Ice" from the "Lightbulb Sun" album -- but that's to be expected these days.
At one point early in the second set Steve spoke between songs saying (paraphrasing), "I have to admit, we were really nervous about playing all that new material for an audience for the first time." At another point -- I believe it was as Steve strapped on the acoustic guitar for "Lazarus" -- he said (paraphrasing again), "The metalheads in the room are all thinking, 'Oh great, he's going for the acoustic guitar again.'" That got laughs.
After the last song of the encore, I pulled out the point-and-shoot camera and took a couple photos and shot a very short (maybe 5 seconds) video clip of the band waving at the end.
Here is the video.
After the show I waited outside at the front of the theatre and met my longtime Internet friend Johnny V. I've known from online for years and years, but this was the first time we actually got to meet. Johnny told me he had been talking to Porcupine Tree's tour manager in the last few days, and that the band might possibly come out to greet a few fans.
Something like 40 minutes later, as roadies loaded black tour cases onto the bus behind us, Steve Wilson came out. He looked completely exhausted, spent, but he stopped to sign autographs for about 25 fans. He signed a sticker for "The Incident" album for me. I would have brought something better to sign if I'd known, but I had no clue I might meet him until Johnny mentioned it after the show.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

If you've known me any length of time at all, you've probably heard me gush and blather senselessly about my favorite band, the fairly-obscure British quartet called Porcupine Tree. I first discovered them when I was running an online radio station about ten years ago, and since then I've only loved them more and more as time goes by.
Here is a very brief, quick introduction to them, thanks to YouTube. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ, JUST SKIP TO THE LINKS BELOW FOR A "QUICK FIX." PLEASE, GIVE THEM A LISTEN!
Over the years, Porcupine Tree's sound has ranged very broadly, covering everything from the underground metal scene to psychedelia to electronica to alt-pop. But through their entire history there is a continuous, steady sense of respect for music not just as amusement but as genuine art.
In this age when even a four-minute song is too long and demanding for the stunted attention span of the average listener, Porcupine Tree does not cater to the merely-average listener. They are one of the few bands who don't just write songs; they craft entire, cohesive albums -- complete works with a sense of unity and direction, with a cohesive theme both musically and lyrically.
They have written albums telling an emotionally griping ghost story (2005's "Deadwing"), albums about serial killers and others who lack a conscience (2002's "In Absentia"), and the devastating impact that hyper-exposure to media and technology has on kids (2007's "Fear Of A Blank Planet").
Their new studio album, "The Incident" (which is just now hitting store shelves), addresses how media reports dehumanize life-altering events by depersonalizing them -- horrific tragedies are reduced to mere "incidents." Porcupine Tree attempts to inject humanity back into a few such events, while interweaving poignant autobiographical vignettes from band leader Steven Wilson's own life.
"Time Flies" is the first video from "The Incident", and breaks the somber mood of much of the album with dreamy, romanticized lyrics: "I was born in '67, the year of Sargeant Pepper, and Are You Experienced..."
"Time Flies" by Porcupine Tree
http://ping.fm/gE0vc
Their previous album, 2007's "Fear of A Blank Planet", dealt with how a mix of technology, media saturation, and excessive medication are ruining the lives of kids today. The title track sums up the album's theme. Here is the video.
"Fear of A Blank Planet" by Porcupine Tree
http://ping.fm/qIhvo
The track "Way Out of Here" addresses the desperate longing for escape from the numbness and stress.
"Way Out of Here" by Porcupine Tree
http://ping.fm/0Pjzg
For a rather jarring change of pace, going back ten years to their 1999 album "Stupid Dream" you find a more playful -- but no less meaningful -- side of Porcupine Tree. Their song "Piano Lessons" addresses the shattering of idealism and naiveté through a cynical girl who teaches piano. The video flirts with the absurd, the psychedelic, and a touch of steampunk sensibilities.
"Piano Lessons" by Porcupine Tree
http://ping.fm/O3yMK
And finally, a live performance of one of their most beautiful, romantic songs, "Trains" from their 2002 album "In Absentia." This performance is from their live DVD "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here."
"Trains" (live) by Porcupine Tree
http://ping.fm/4ZFdm
Karrin and I will be seeing Porcupine Tree live at the Moore Theatre in Seattle tonight, Tuesday, September 15th. I got advance tickets through the exclusive fan club, and expect we'll probably be right up front by the stage like when I saw them in 2007. I can't wait!
FOR MORE ON PORCUPINE TREE:
Their official website:
http://ping.fm/UYgKG
Follow them (and hear/see more) on MySpace:
http://ping.fm/hQb8c

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

"You know, it took me about a year to start hating the 9/11 victims’ families. It took me about a year... When I see 9/11 victim family, you know, on television, or whatever, I’m just like, ‘Oh, shut up.’ I’m so sick of them. Because they’re always complaining. And we did our best for them." -- Glenn Beck, founder of The 9/12 Project

About Me

Although born in Melbourne, Florida, I've lived in Western Washington since I was three. My father always had a dark room, and when I was only about seven years old, he taught me how to develop black-and-white negative film and make prints. So from a very early age I knew and loved the smell of Dektol D-76, and learned the frustration of spooling 35mm film in a pitch-black room. My teenage and adolescent years were spent primarily on drawing rather than photography, but this developed my eye and my understanding of art, until I returned to my photography roots in the early 2000s.

I shoot fashion and beauty now, both in my humble studio as well as on-location. I absolutely live to become a full-time professional fashion and beauty photographer for magazines and advertising.